Giant inflatable wind turbine to soar to 300 metres

Altaeros Energies
is to carry out the first commercial demonstration of a high
altitude wind turbine, thanks to a partnership with the Alaska
Energy Authority.

The wind energy company was formed out of MIT, and has developed
a 10-metre-wide, helium filled inflatable wind turbine called the
Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT) that has been tested at altitudes of
more than 100 metres above ground. Wired.co.uk wrote about the company's plans to provide an
alternative do diesel generators back in 2012, but Altaeros has now
found a commercial partner to take the technology to the next
stage.

Introducing the Altaeros BAT: The Next Generation of Wind Poweraltaerosenergies

The inflatable wind turbine is designed to lift to high
altitudes where winds are stronger and more consistent than those
reached by traditional tower-mounted turbines. The turbine is held
in place by high-strength tethers, which also have cables to carry
electricity to the ground. The BAT borrows heavily from aerostats,
the blimp-like inflatables that have been used to lift heavy
communications equipment for years. BAT is designed to withstand
very strong winds, and a prototype survived 45mph winds in a 2013
test.

The $1.3 million, eighteen-month project will see the BAT flown
at heights of 300 metres above ground in a long-term demonstration
of the technology in a site south of Fairbanks. The aim is to test
its viability as a flexible, low-cost power solution for remote
communities. "The project will generate enough energy to power more
than a dozen homes," say Altaeros CEO Ben Glass, "the BAT can be
transported and setup without the need for large cranes, towers, or
underground foundations that have hampered past wind projects."

When flown at the planned altitude, the wind turbine will be
more than 80 metres higher than the current record holder for the
highest wind turbine, the snappily-named (and, frankly, enormous)
Vestas V164-8.0-MW.

The remote power and microgrid market -- currently served by
gas-guzzling generators -- could be worth as much as $17 billion,
according to Altaeros.